


Tribe Night

by butterfly_gARDEN



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Gen, Middle to Post Season 5, Post-Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:28:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24845326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterfly_gARDEN/pseuds/butterfly_gARDEN
Summary: The Tribe meets up at Lux for their night out. Eventually, the gathering moves up to Lucifer's penthouse. While playing a drinking game, The Tribe finds out a lot more information about each other.
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 22
Kudos: 187





	Tribe Night

**Author's Note:**

> I have added a lot of backstory for these characters. I apologize if I offend anyone. I'm sure the Lucifer Writers Room will end up negating a lot of what I have written, but until Season 5 premiers, I have to make do with my imagination.

Lucifer Morningstar loved it when The Tribe, Detective Chloe Decker, therapist Linda Martin, Forensics Officer Ella Lopez, and demon/bounty hunter Mazikeen Smith, had their girls’ night at his high end nightclub, Lux. Seated at their usual banquette, they enjoyed Lucifer’s sets at the piano while they chatted, vented, laughed, and occasionally cried with each other. Every time they met, their walls crumbled a little more. Years of trust enabled them to open up to each other a little more each time in a way that they would do for no one else.

Lucifer always kept a courteous distance from them. It was, after all, GIRLS’ night, but he ensured that the drinks never ran out. But on this night, he graciously invited The Tribe upstairs to the penthouse. They had started playing “Never Have I Ever”, and he was curious to hear what they had to say. The noise and the music in the nightclub made that difficult. Add to that, The Tribe was incredibly drunk this evening, so he was sure that the conversation was going to be especially interesting.

As “his” girls gathered themselves on his “L” shaped couch, Lucifer sat in one of the opposing chairs.

“Are you joining us, Lucifer?” Linda had asked.

“No no. Just a casual observer,” he had replied. “I’m just here to add commentary. Carry on.”

Everyone knew just what kind of commentary was going to be added and they collectively rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Nevertheless, they continued.

“Okay,” Linda continued, “Oh look! We’re actually sitting in the same order, so good. Chloe, it was your turn."

“Hmmmm,…” Chloe started. She was seated at the end of the “long” part of the couch sitting cross-legged, turned toward her friends.“Never have I ever...seen a Broadway play in New York City.”

No one touched their drinks.

“Really?” Lucifer asked. “Dearie me, we might have to do something about that. None have you have been to the Big Bad Apple? That is a travesty."

“I’ve BEEN,” said Ella, “But it was for a forensics convention. I never got to see a play. Actually, I never got to do much sightseeing, either. It was a good convention, though. The hotel was amazing.”

“I’ll have to see what I can do,” said Lucifer. “You ladies need a Tribe Night on Broadway.”

“Can’t,” said Maze. “Tracked a bounty there. Now, I’m banned in New York City.”

“Oh, Mazie,” Lucifer sighed, smirking at his demon proudly. After a brief pause, he added, “Who’s next?”

Ella began, “Never have I ever gotten a speeding ticket.”

Chloe and Linda each took a sip.

“Decker? Grannie Panties Decker got a speeding ticket? HA!” Maze chortled. “Never woulda’ guessed."

“Me, either, Detective. You always annoyingly drive just at or just under the speed limit.”

“Yeah, well,...um...when I was fourteen, a friend of mine took his dad’s car. A bunch of us went out to the desert to drive around the roads. I was driving when we got pulled over. I was going,...I don’t know, maybe 90 miles an hour? I didn’t have a license, of course, and it turned out my friend didn’t have permission to take the car.”

"Ninety miles an hour!” exclaimed Lucifer. “Detective, I’m so proud of you!”

Chloe ignored her partner and continued, “The Lancaster cops called our parents, and my mom, fortunately, was away on a shoot. My dad had to pick me up. Lancaster was good to me out of professional courtesy to my dad, so the only thing I had to do was pay a speeding ticket. They were able to keep it out of the press, too. I mean, the headlines, could you imagine?...Penelope Decker’s Daughter Arrested for Auto Theft. My mother would have Flipped. Out.”

“But I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face. He was so sad, so disappointed in me. It just absolutely broke my heart. I never wanted him to feel that way about me. He never said a word on the way home. When I apologized, all he did was ask me if I learned my lesson. When I said yes, he hugged me. I would have felt better if he’d yelled at me or grounded me, or something, but he didn’t.”

“I’d made a few commercials by then. I took money out of my account and paid him back. He said I didn’t need to do it, but I told him that yes, I did. I still feel so bad about that, sometimes,” she said. “I hurt him so badly.”

“Chloe! You know you were just being a stupid kid doing stupid kid things, right?” said Ella.

“Yeah, I know,” Chloe answered, “I just didn’t live up to his opinion of me that day, is all.”

After a brief silence to allow Chloe to collect herself, Lucifer spoke up. “Detective, what did Amenadiel say to you about your father?”

“That he’s proud of me?” Chloe answered.

“Then that’s that. Most parents are always willing to forgive their offspring. Notable exception being me, of course. How many times have you forgiven YOUR child?”

“Oh! Uh,...I don’t even know,” she said.

“Case in point,” Lucifer replied, pausing momentarily before continuing, “How about you, Linda? Speeding ticket?”

Linda smiled. There was not a shred of remorse about her. “My cousin bought a Porsche, so we took it out for a spin.”

“How fast?” asked Lucifer, with that particular smirk on his face.

“I was clocked at one thirty. I was so disappointed. I was trying to get up to one fifty, at least. What?” she said, looking at her Tribe, “It was the middle of the desert. It’s not like we were going to hit a house. Fortunately, I had been working a summer job so I had spending money. For college. After I got that ticket, I didn't have any spending money. For college.”

“One thirty,” smiled Lucifer, “Why, you little minx. I had no idea you had it in you. Well done, Doctor!”

“Ella,” said Linda, “I can’t believe YOU never got a speeding ticket.”

“If you drive ‘em fast enough, they won’t catch you,” said Ella, proudly. “Besides, if I got pulled over, they’d have gotten me for grand theft auto. THAT wasn’t gonna happen. Uh uh.”

“Yeah, what Ellen said,” agreed Maze. “Linda, you’re up.”

“Okayyyyy,...uh,...never have I ever been skydiving.”

Chloe and Ella took a sip.

“Chloe? Really?” asked Linda.

“Yeah, yeah. I love it. I’m even certified. I used to go a lot before I had Trixie. I just love the freedom, and the rush of the air,...and the view!”

“Yeah,” agreed Ella. “Best feeling ever!”

“Ella?” Linda asked.

“Army Airborne Division,” she said, proudly. Looking around the room, she saw the shocked expressions on their faces. “How else do you think an inner city Latina from Detroit went to college?”

“There was one time,” she had started laughing already, “We did a training drill in Alaska in the middle of winter. When we landed, we all got stuck in the snow. I mean, it was up to my chest. We were all floundering, trying to get out. Then, we were laughing so hard, we couldn’t even move. Man, if enemy troops had been there, we’d have all been dead...but we would have died laughing,” she said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

The Tribe, plus Lucifer were laughing hysterically, even though Lucifer was having a difficult time picturing the petite little forensics officer in army gear, let alone with a ginormous parachute hanging off her back.

“Lucifer,” said Ella, “You have access to all kinds of cars, and planes, and helicopters, you must have gone skydiving at some point.”

“Never!” said Lucifer emphatically. “I despise the feeling of falling. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt that Dr. Linda would say I’m downright phobic about it. Severe trauma. PTSD.”

“But you live in a penthouse,” Ella pointed upwards.

“I’m not acrophobic, Ms. Lopez. Heights don’t bother me at all, I fear falling, as I have earlier in my life. From a great distance. Whenever I fall, I even end up having panic attacks. There is no way in heaven or on earth that I would ever voluntarily fall out of an airplane.”

“Lucifer, if you ever needed to discuss-” Linda started to say.

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Lucifer, in a tone that told everyone the conversation was over. Linda nodded in understanding, and Lucifer continued, “Mazikeen, I believe you were next.”

“Never have I ever had sex on the beach.”

“The drink?” asked Linda.

“No,...sex...on the beach,” replied Maze.

“Does in the water count, or just...on the beach?” asked Ella.

“Sure. Water,” said Maze.

Chloe and Ella took a sip.

“Really, Maze? No sex on the beach?” Lucifer looked incredulous.

“Sex on the pier, sex in a car parked by the beach, sex on a surfboard, sex in several boats-a yacht, even, sex while parasailing, but nope. Not on the beach. Having sand get in all your parts would probably start to hurt after a while…” her eyes lit up, “I really need to have sex on the beach.”

“Detective, you have?”

“Yeah, of course”

“Under the boardwalk?” Lucifer asked with a grin.

“ _Under the boardwalk..._ ,” Chloe, Ella, and Linda sang.

“No, never under the boardwalk,” said Chloe, “but Dan and I used to go at it in the dunes all the time when we were dating.”

“Okay, can’t unsee that,” said Lucifer. “Time for another drink.” With that, he got up and headed over to the bar.

“One time, Beach Patrol caught us. Dan literally had his pants down,” she started laughing. “Gee I’m drunk.”

Everyone laughed at the image, but then Chloe turned to Linda. “Linda? Really? You never had sex on the beach?”

“Are you kidding me?” Linda asked. “I grew up in southern Louisiana. In bayou country. We didn’t go near the water unless we were all geared up. If the gators didn’t get you, the cottonmouths would. That’s the last place we’d even think about having sex.”

“But,” she added, “Amenadiel and I made out on the beach, if THAT counts.”

“Ugh! Can’t unsee THAT either,” exclaimed Lucifer, draining his freshly poured drink in one gulp. This time, he just gave up and brought the decanter over to his chair. Everyone laughed, then looked at Ella.

“So, there was this fresh water pond. My buddy and I would sit on the pier and get really high, then go skinny dipping. It was such a rush. The sex was amazing!…and my hair was always so silky afterwards,” she smiled.

“Are you two still in touch?” asked Linda.

“No,” said Ella, as her eyes watered up. “His truck hit an IED in Afghanistan. He was...uh…” her voice trailed off.

“Oh, Ella!” Chloe and Linda rushed over to their friend.

“So when you told me that bad things keep happening,” said Chloe, rocking her friend, “You didn’t just mean Charlotte, did you?”

Ella shook her head. “He was supposed to go to medical school on the G.I. bill. He wanted to work on Indian reservations, or inner city clinics, or Doctors Without Boarders. He was going to help,” she sniffled.

Once Ella was placated and The Tribe had taken their seats, Lucifer walked over to Ella, and knelt in front of her. Placing his hand on her knee, he smiled at her very gently and said “Ms. Lopez, you know you’ll see him again, yes?”

Ella looked at him sadly, “I hope so.”

Lucifer continued to smile and said, “You will. I promise you, you will see him. He sounded like a very good man.”

“Faith, right?” Ella said, unconsciously wrapping her fingers around the gold cross hanging from her neck.

Lucifer nodded, “Faith. Yes.”

“Sorry, Ellen, I didn’t mean to-you know,” said Maze.

“Nah, Dude, it’s all good,” Ella smiled at her. “Chloe, you’re up.”

“Never have I ever been to a NASCAR race.”

Linda and Ella took a sip.

“Linda? Seriously?” Chloe asked.

“Talladega,” she said. “The trip from Hell.”

“You’re not wrong. NASCAR is a Hell loop, actually,” Lucifer interjected. “Watching cars drive round and round in a circle, terribly dull. You find yourself praying for a crash to break up the monotony. Formula 1 racing is so much better. You actually drive on the narrow little streets through European towns...oh, sorry.”

Linda continued, “It rained buckets all the way from Louisiana to Alabama. My friend’s car had a blow out, and we skidded and ended up in a muddy ditch. It took hours to get a tow truck. When we finally got to Talladega, they had given away our hotel room because we didn’t check in on time, so we had to camp out in the car. The race kept getting postponed because the track was wet. They did maybe half the laps, then they shut the race down. Then we had to drive back. Worst. Trip, Ever!”

“Aww man, Linda, that sucked!” said Ella, sympathetically.

“What about you, Ella?” asked Linda. “I saw you drinking.”

“Dude, there’s TONS of tracks in Michigan. My brother, Ricardo, and I used to go to Michigan International Speedway a lot. It’s really exciting when you’re actually AT THE RACE. Not like listening to it on the radio.”

“Dearie me, who would even listen to a race on the radio? All you’d hear is a bunch of cars going vrooom, vroom for hours on end. THAT, in and of itself is a Hell loop,” Lucifer said. “But do go on, ladies. Detective, you never went?”

“Nope, never was interested. Linda? You’re up”

“Let’s see,...never have I ever been to the Eiffel Tower.”

No one took a sip.

“None of you have been to Paris?” Lucifer was flaberghasted. “Really! Detective, you took your child to Europe and you didn’t go to Paris?”

“Mmmm, no. We went to Spain, then went through southern France to northern Italy, then went south. Before things, you know,...went south.”

Before she went to Rome. Before she met Fr. Kinley. Before he took advantage of her vulnerable state, gaslighting her into believing that she was doing the right thing for all of humanity by helping him send Lucifer back to Hell. Before she betrayed him and almost destroyed their friendship beyond repair. Before he’d had to return to Hell to actually keep humanity safe. She still felt guilty, Lucifer could tell. He and Chloe were going to have a long talk. She was good-beyond good. The idea that she could end up in a Hell loop because of her guilt over what she did for all eternity frightened him to his very core. That just couldn’t happen. Not to her. Not to his Miracle.

"Detective, you know I've forgiven you, yes?"

Chloe nodded, blinked away the tears that threatened to spill, and said, “Am I really the only one besides Lucifer who’s even been to Europe?”

“Oh no, I’ve been,” said Linda, “Just not to Paris.”

“Nope, never been,” said Ella. “Bucket list. Me? I guess?”

Everyone nodded. “Never have I everrrrrrr...eaten an alligator.”

Linda took a sip, of course.

“Is that really a thing?” Ella asked.

“Well, it’s not like we had it for Sunday dinner ever week, but yeah, you eat what you can get. In the mid 20th century, alligators were actually on the Endangered Species list, so now, it’s more common to get them from game farms, but they’re prevalent enough now where hunting isn’t prohibited any more. But they’re not a basic staple, if that’s what you mean.”

“There was this one time,...I don’t remember which hurricane it was,...when we went outside to clean up, and there was a 10 foot alligator in the back of my Uncle Mike’s F150.” She started laughing. “We were all invited to a boucherie,” Linda looked around at all the blank faces, “That’s a big get-together where someone is butchering a hog. In the days before refrigerators, meat would go bad if you didn’t eat it right away, so the tradition was to invite your community. Everyone would bring food and have a huge pork dinner. Went on for two or three days. Anyway, we were going anyway, so Uncle Mike shot the gator, and we took it along.”

“So you’re French?” asked Lucifer. “With the name Martin…”

“It was originally Martine,” she said. My family first settled in Acadia, in Canada.”

“Ah yes,” nodded Lucifer, “Before British troops graciously escorted your ancestors down to Louisiana to live in the swamps.“

“Exactly,” she replied. “Maze, I’m surprised YOU haven’t eaten alligator.”

“Nah,” she said, “Ate a snake once, though.”

“Mazikeen! Really? Where were you? Texas? Arizona? New Mexico?” Lucifer asked.

“Nah, Hell,” she answered. Catching Lucifer’s stare, she said, “What? IT ONLY HAD ONE HEAD.”

The Tribe started looking at Maze like SHE had three heads.

“Awww, Mazie,” he said, “You ate THAT snake? THE snake?”

“Well, what was so great about it, anyway?”

“That was the original serpent from the Garden of Eden. A memento, if you would. I wondered where the little bugger’d slithered off to. Dearie me.” He shook his head sadly.

To change the very odd climate in the room, Ella broke the silence, “Did it taste like chicken?”

“Nah, tasted like raw snake.” Maze continued, “Never have I ever eaten an octopus.”

No one sipped their drinks.

“No adventurous culinary souls in the group?” asked Lucifer.

“I’ve eaten calamari,” said Ella.

“Mmmm,” said Chloe and Linda.

“There’s that Italian restaurant we went to?” Chloe asked Linda.

“Yes!” she replied. “We split that calamari appetizer. Oh, that was delicious, but by the time we got our dinners, I was stuffed.”

“Me too. I had enough for dinner the next day.”

“And your body didn’t go into shock after not eating a vending machine sandwich?” Lucifer teased. Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Really, Darling, your eating habits are atrocious. I worry about you, sometimes.”

“Says the man who keeps a stash of Cool Ranch Puffs in my glovebox,” she retorted.

“Touche, Detective,” he replied.

“Anyway,...never have I ever been in a tornado.”

Nobody touched their drinks, but they all stared at Linda, fully expecting her to drink.

“We often had tornado warnings after hurricanes, but no, we never had a tornado touch down. Ella?”

“Nope. Hail, snow, bad thunderstorms, no tornadoes. Kinda glad about that.”

“Yeah,” they all agreed.”Who’s next,...Linda?”

“Let’s see,...never have I ever,...never have I ever assembled IKEA furniture without swearing.”

Simultaneously, The Tribe drained their glasses, then looked at each other and laughed hysterically, Chloe almost falling off the couch.

“Huh,” said Lucifer, “We have people doing THAT in Hell, too. Always with one screw missing, of course.”

“I was pregnant with Trixie,” said Chloe. “Dan and I didn’t have much money and we needed a dresser for the nursery. You know, a large rectangle with four smaller rectangles sitting inside it? Should have been easy. I mean, four sides and a bottom? I’ll tell you, though, the marriage almost ended right there. Dan ended up walking away after he chucked the screwdriver out the window, and I had to finish putting it together. Oh the language! Especially after Dan actually broke the particle board on one of the sides.”

“Reese did the same thing,” Linda said. We were trying to build a modular bookcase/TV shelf thingy for the living room. Reese would never actually read the instructions when he built something, he’d just jump right in and start screwing things together. It took us twice as long, and whenever I pointed out that something was in the wrong place, he’d throw such a tantrum. I didn’t even want the damn thing to begin with. It was ugly. The minute he moved out, I took a sledgehammer to the fucking thing, dragged the pieces out into my back yard and burned it. I hate IKEA,” she gulped her drink.

“I know, right?” said Ella. “I tried to put one of those bookcase/TV shelf things together, too. Halfway through, I dropped the stupid Allen wrench and it bounced under the couch where I couldn’t find it. I had to use a multitool to finish. And I was missing a hinge from one of the doors, too. THAT sucked. Then, ‘cause I’m so short, when I tried to stand it up, one side cracked under the weight and came crashing down. I swore in two languages, man. I even made up my OWN swears. All I can say is, I am in a committed, lifelong relationship with Gorilla Glue.”

“I just use nails and duct tape,” said Maze, finishing off her drink. “I only swear because that’s what I do.”

“Nails,” said Chloe. “Not that I would EVER buy IKEA again, but next time,…nails. Definitely nails.”

They sipped their drinks in silence, commiserating over the Hell on earth that was IKEA. Only The Tribe could bond over disassembled furniture.

Ella spoke up, “Never have I ever shot someone while off duty.”

Chloe, surprisingly enough didn’t take a sip. Only on duty, apparently. Ella and Maze each took a sip, though. Linda, however, sat with her hand over her glass, not raising it.

“Linda?” asked Lucifer. Something about the expression on the doctor’s face troubled him.

“I don’t...I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, quietly. “If I sip, and I SHOULD sip, technically, I don’t know if I can…”

“Linda! Come on, Girl, we’re Tribe. No judgements, okay? It’s not like this is a room full of saints or anything,” said Ella.

“Linda, you don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable, you know that,” said Chloe, “But know this. There is nothing you can tell me that I won’t forgive you for. I love you, whether you sip that drink or not.”

Linda took a sip, took a breath, and then launched into her story. “Okay, here goes. My father walked out on my mom, leaving her to raise my sister and me. Well, we assumed he’d walked out, but he wasn’t the most...honorable?...of men. He went to work one day and never came home. For all we know, his bones are at the bottom of the bayou somewhere.”

Linda looked at Lucifer. “Do you remember after a particular...breakthrough...on your part, I asked you about my Uncle Ed?” Lucifer nodded as she continued, “After my father was gone, we moved in with Uncle Ed. He was a raging alcoholic, a very violent man, but he had the family farm, so there was room. He began sexually molesting my sister not long after we moved in, but my mother did nothing, she’d just “go for a walk.” Wouldn’t even take action to protect her own children. It was more comfortable for her to have someone else be financially responsible for her family than to take matters into her own hands, even if her children were being harmed.”

“Then, I caught his attention. My mother tried to stop him, told him he couldn’t have both of us, but he threw her across the room and started beating on her. I grabbed his shotgun and...Uncle Ed never hurt anyone again.”

“I was twelve, so my record was sealed and eventually expunged, and my sister and I ended up in the foster care system. She ran away, and I have no idea where she ended up." She paused, "I don’t even know if she’s still alive, frankly. We all know how those stories usually end.”

“I was luckier than most. I got placed in a loving, stable home, and my foster parents ended up adopting me. We were-and are-very close, even now. They got me the help I desperately needed, they sent me to college, and that’s how I ended up in California. THEY are my REAL parents. Who knows what would have happened to me if that didn’t happen. And they LOVE Charlie.”

Linda took a breath, then guzzled her drink. The Tribe sat in stunned silence.

Finally, Maze broke the silence, “Linda! Damn, Woman!” She launched herself at Linda and held her in a crushing embrace. “You’re awesome! Respect!”

“Whoa, Linda! I can’t believe you survived all that, Girlfriend!” Ella’s turn to hug her friend.

“Linda,” said Chloe, very gently, “I’m so proud of you. Not because you killed your uncle, but for ALL of it. For working so hard to overcome circumstances that would have shattered most people. You moved on, you have a career, you’re respected in your field, you are providing a loving, stable home for Charlie,...you’re amazing. You’re a survivor-a role model. And no, I can’t possibly think any less of you.”

Linda threw her arms around Chloe and whispered, “Thank you. Not too many people know that about me. It means a lot.”

Lucifer eventually cleared his throat, blinking his tears away. “Linda, what you asked me before?” She nodded. “The answer is yes. It is, unfortunately, one of the largest sections of Hell. Far too many Uncle Eds in the world, if you ask me. But, he will never harm another child.”

“Turning the tables on you, Doctor. How do YOU feel about the whole thing?” he continued.

Linda chuckled, then sobered up before answering. “You mean, do I feel guilty?”

“Yes.”

“No. No I don’t, not really. Am I glad that I took a life? No. But if all that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s part of what makes me ME. It helps me in my career. I can absolutely understand about difficult choices we make, so no. No guilt.”

Lucifer smiled. “I’m very glad to hear that, Doctor. I would hate to encounter you torturing yourself for all eternity over the likes of your uncle.”

“So, Ella, what about you?” Linda asked.

Ella had been staring at her drink, not fully wrapping her head around the conversation that Lucifer and Linda had been having. Hell? Torturing yourself? And what Maze had said earlier about the snake? Maybe she was drunker than she thought. Nevertheless, she shared her story.

“So, Ricardo snuck out of Abuela’s house into the back alley to smoke a joint. This dude that Ricardo knew rode up on his bike, and I guess Ricardo owed him some money. Surprise...not. So, he’s threatening my brother, so I grabbed my Poppi’s pistol and ran out of the house. He sees me with the gun, and he starts running, right? I shot at him and shot his ballcap right off his head.” Ella started laughing. “You should have heard him yelling. ‘Oh dios mio! Ay yi yi yi yi…’ He never came back. Left his cap and his bike right there in the alley.”

“Why Ms. Lopez, how very William Tell of you.” Lucifer remembered full well how she had shot the bartender inside of Fletcher’s Nightclub in Los Vegas. Apparently, she didn’t learn everything in Basic Training.

Ella smiled, “What can I say? Detroit. How about you, Maze?”

“My lead turned out to be a dead end. I was pissed. I’d gone all the way to this stupid town in New Mexico for nothing, so I went into this shithole bar for a beer. These two dudes got into a fight, and one of them pulled a gun. Right then, the other guy slams into him and they end up duking it out in the middle of the floor. The gun went sliding across the floor, right under my foot, so I picked it up. Guy had taken the safety off, so when I picked it up, it went off. Shot one of the guys right in the nuts” Maze fell off the couch she was laughing so hard. “Shoulda’ seen the look on his face!” More laughter, with everyone joining in this time.

“Best part about it?” Maze continued. “The sheriff had a warrant out against the guy, so he bought me a beer. Didn’t get MY bounty, but I got A bounty. And a beer.” She smiled at the memory.

The sky had begun to turn pink over the San Gabriel Mountains. Linda had quickly shot a text to Amenadiel, assuring him that she was alright.

The conversation was beginning to wind down, but it was Maze’s turn. Lucifer cleared his throat. Looking at Maze, then Linda and Chloe, he said, “Ladies, are we still doing this?”

“This is how we planned it, Lucifer, let’s go on.” asked Linda.

“There’s still time to change your minds…” he trailed off.

“No,” said Chloe. “It’s time.”

“Very well,” Lucifer sighed. Turning to Ella, he said, “Ms. Lopez, you’ve known me for many years now. Do you trust me?”

“Lucifer, Buddy! Of course I trust you. You’re the best!” Ella gushed.

“And you know that I would NEVER hurt any of you intentionally. Physically, anyway. Emotionally, the Detective is a lot worse for wear thanks to me. Regrettably so.” He looked at Chloe sadly.

“Lucifer, I know you wouldn’t hurt us,” said Ella, “But Dude, you’re kinda scaring me right now.”

Lucifer looked at The Tribe one more time, “Ladies are you sure you want to do this?” After they all nodded, Lucifer went on, “Fine then, I’m taking Maze’s turn, but not as a participant, you understand...Never have I ever slept with the devil.”

Chloe, Linda, and Maze took a sip.

“Detective?”

“Presently doing so,” she replied, smiling.

“Linda?” “As payment for your therapy in the beginning. Very unethical, but,…” she smiled. She was sorry, not sorry.

“Maze?”

“In service to my Lord and King.”

Ella looked at the group, stunned. These were highly intelligent, very intuitive women. How could they buy into one method actor’s crazy schtick? But hey, if nothing else, Lucifer was incredibly charming, incredibly generous, and incredibly handsome. Literally a handsome devil. She absolutely understood why they would sleep with him but...to fall for his whole method thing?

“Awww, come on, guys, what are you trying to do, here?” she said.

Linda reached over and took Ella’s hand. “Just remember, you’re safe, okay?”

Lucifer stood up and moved behind his chair. “Ms. Lopez, after Charlotte died, you had a period of doubt; you’d temporarily lost your faith.”

“Yeah, but I’m okay again with the Big Guy. I mean, for now, anyway.”

“Ms. Lopez,” said Lucifer, as he opened his wings. “Your faith was not misplaced.”

Ella sat gaping on the couch, unable to move, unable to speak. “Holy…” her voice trailed off.

All Maze’s weird conversations, all that Uncle Ed talk, all that Hell talk, it was real. After a few moments, Ella jumped off the couch and walked behind Lucifer and his magnificent white wings. She was a forensic scientist. She needed the how and why. But, the harness she was looking for was conspicuously absent. Lucifer’s wings were coming directly from his back.

“So you’re really...it’s all true? Heaven? Hell? Angels?” She turned to Maze, “You’re an actual demon?”

“Yeah,” said Maze, pulling the cap off her beer with her teeth.

“Oh my God, guys, this is so cool!” Ella shouted, launching herself at Lucifer for a hug. “Thanks! This is amaze balls!”

“Didn’t see THAT one coming,” said Maze.

“I did,” said Lucifer, “Ms. Lopez’s faith is very strong.” 

Lucifer continued, “Ms. Lopez, I meant what I said earlier. Your friend really IS in heaven, and you, my dear friend, WILL be reunited with him some day.”

Ella’s eyes filled with tears as she whispered. “Thank you.”

After a moment, Ella suddenly sat up. “Wait! When you were talking about your fear of falling, you were talking about THE Fall? Oh my God, I thought that was just a fall from grace.”

“A fall from grace, to be sure,” Lucifer affirmed, “but I actually fell. Pushed out of heaven by my twin brother, Michael after he ran me through with his sword. I fell into Hell, into the Lake of Fire, where I burned mercilessly until I had the strength to push myself out.”

Lucifer nodded at Linda, who immediately took Ella’s hand again. Slowly, his appearance shifted until Ella saw a grotesquely burned figure standing in Lucifer’s place.

“Oh my G-...Lucifer! Does it hurt?”

Lucifer smiled at her, saying, “Not anymore, no.”

As Lucifer began shifting back, Ella suddenly started laughing hysterically. _Oh dearie me, I’ve broken her,_ Lucifer thought to himself.

“Ella! What?” asked Chloe.

“I took the devil to Mass. Ahahahahaha...” Ella couldn’t even sit up she was laughing so hard.

“Wait, what?” asked Chloe.

“You know Lucifer,...quid pro quo, right? He asked me for a favor, but he insisted that he had to do one for me. I made him go to Mahahahahass with meheeheehee. Ahahahahaha…”

The Tribe was laughing with her, but were they laughing at what she shared, or were they laughing because SHE was laughing? Both?

Lucifer looked at Ella with mock indignation. “The church wasn’t struck by lightning.”

“Ahahahaha…”

Lucifer smirked as he sat down.

*****

The sun was fully up, by now. Lucifer’s “girls” were asleep/passed out on the couch. Lucifer shot a quick text to Amenadiel, assuring him that Linda was, in fact, all right, but had fallen asleep on the couch. (The dullard had been texting him all night, but Lucifer had intentionally ignored his phone.) The Tribe reminded him of Chloe’s birthday party, when he had walked in to find sleeping bodies all over the penthouse, and he smiled at the recollection. Chloe was sleeping in the corner of the couch, snoring peacefully. _She always snores when she’s drunk_ , he smiled to himself. Maze was technically sleeping on the shorter “L” of the couch, with much of her body hanging off of it precariously. Linda was seated with her head back on the back of the couch, and Ella has all curled up in the corner.

First things first. Lucifer filled a pitcher with water and set it on the bar, placing a Costco-sized bottle of Advil nearby. Then, he filled the coffee pot, preparing ahead for the desperate need for caffeine that The Tribe would require once they came to. As Lucifer walked over to Chloe, Maze muttered something in Lillim, rolling over and officially falling off the couch and landing on the floor. Lucifer chuckled, and placed a pillow under her head, careful not to disturb Ella, who was peacefully drooling on the pile of pillows in the corner.

Returning to Chloe once more, he lifted his little Albanian field wench up and carried her into the bedroom. He removed her pants, carefully folding them and placing them on the nightstand. Then, he placed a glass of water and a smaller bottle of Advil on the nightstand near her head, before he tucked her in, kissing her forehead.

So now, he waited, reflecting on the night’s conversations. He had learned a lot about these women, more than he had in all the years he’d known them. He had always respected them, but somehow, after learning all that he had, he respected them even more. Yes, his respect for Maze was sadly lacking before, but look at her now. Despite him, she had created a life for herself on earth-and it was all her own doing. Even now, despite everything, he could call her “friend”. Linda. Who would have known? And Ella? Little Ella? Jumping out of airplanes...

When they were first created, Lucifer didn’t think much of humans. But now, he understood their capabilities, their abilities to endure extreme emotional and physical hardships-despite their frail and fragile forms and their limited life spans-and he was in awe of his Father’s creation...not that he would EVER admit that to the Old Man.

Never had he ever met such an extraordinary group of individuals in all his existence.


End file.
